Hull City went into the 2014-15 campaign with a sense of cautious optimism following one of the most successful seasons in the club's history a year prior.
The Tigers recorded their highest points total and highest finishing position in the Premier League in 2013-14, as well as reaching the FA Cup final, where they squandered a two-goal lead to lose to Arsenal in extra time at Wembley.
Even so, they still finished just four points above the bottom three in the end, and they found themselves involved in another relegation battle this time around. A first-ever European excursion as a result of their runners-up finish in the FA Cup was short-lived, setting the tone for a disappointing campaign that ultimately ended in a return to the Championship.
Here, Sports Mole looks back at just how the club's two-year stay in the top flight came to an end.
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August
It was a busy summer for Hull as they geared up for domestic and European duties, with the club's record transfer fee being broken twice and the likes of Jake Livermore, Robert Snodgrass, Tom Ince, Michael Dawson, Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez, Mohamed Diame and Hatem Ben Arfa all arriving at the KC Stadium.
An unbeaten pre-season campaign only added to the optimism, and an opening league game against newly-promoted Queens Park Rangers was seen as a perfect chance to get themselves underway for the campaign. That is exactly how it transpired too, with James Chester grabbing the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory at Loftus Road to get Steve Bruce's side off to a winning start - albeit with the downside of an injury to new arrival Snodgrass which would rule him out for the season.
Chester soon switched from hero to villain, however, being sent off after just 14 minutes in Hull's first home game of the season. Despite that setback, the Tigers looked to be on course for a hard-earned win following Nikica Jelavic's goal, only for Ryan Shawcross to earn a point for his side seven minutes from time.
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Jelavic was again on the scoresheet in the final match of the opening month, but his 74th-minute strike proved to be a mere consolation as Aston Villa - accurately predicted to be one of Hull's relegation rivals - edged an early six-pointer 2-1 at Villa Park.
Hull's European dream was already over at that point too as the Tigers failed to make it into the group stages. A 2-1 aggregate victory over Trencin sent them through to the playoff against Lokeren, but the Belgian outfit came through on away goals despite 10-man Hull winning the second leg 2-1 at the KC Stadium.
September
If August was a mixed month for Bruce's side, September was very much a sign of the troubles to come. They began by squandering the lead twice at home to West Ham United, but things got even worse in their next match when they let a two-goal advantage slip against Newcastle United for a second consecutive 2-2 draw.
Goals weren't proving to be a problem for Hull, and they hit another pair in their League Cup third-round meeting with West Bromwich Albion, but once again their leaky defence cost them. Two goals in the final three minutes saw the Baggies edge to a 3-2 victory and knock Hull out of a second tournament in as many months of the season.
They made it eight goals scored from September's four games at home to Manchester City just three days later, threatening an upset when they came from two goals down to draw back level at 2-2. However, Edin Dzeko and Frank Lampard ensured the 4-2 win for the champions and 10 goals conceded in the month for Hull. Off the field there was turmoil too as owner Assem Allam put the club up for sale over the rejection of his proposed name change.
October
October brought with it a much-needed clean sheet in the opening game as Hull not only avoided conceding but also picked up a first win since the opening day of the Premier League season with victory over Crystal Palace. That would prove to be their last win until Boxing Day, but October on the whole will go down as a successful month for the Tigers.
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Only a 91st-minute equaliser from Danny Welbeck prevented them from becoming the first visiting team to win a league game at the Emirates Stadium since August 2013 as Arsenal salvaged a 2-2 draw, while Hull also took a point from Anfield next up courtesy of a goalless stalemate with Liverpool.
November
Elation from those good results soon turned to despair during a disastrous November that saw Hull lose four league games on the bounce for the first time since early 2012. A slim defeat to in-form Southampton was not the biggest shock of the season, but the subsequent 1-0 loss at the hands of struggling Burnley - the Clarets' first win of the season - was particularly damaging.
The Tigers seemed on course to respond against Tottenham Hotspur in their next outing, but a Ramirez red card helped Spurs to overcome a one-goal deficit and secure a late 2-1 victory. A trip to Old Trafford was next up, and there was to be no turnaround in fortunes for Bruce's side as Manchester United ran out 3-0 victors.
December
Hull at least managed to stop the rot with consecutive draws against Everton and West Brom respectively at the start of December, but trouble was brewing off the field as UEFA announced that the club was under investigation over the alleged breach of Financial Fair Play regulations.
A 2-0 loss at the hands of leaders Chelsea followed before Swansea City left the KC Stadium with a 1-0 victory that left Hull 10 games without a win and 19th at Christmas. Things looked like going from bad to worse when they conceded within a minute away to Sunderland on Boxing Day, but a three-goal reply finally saw the Tigers pick up just their third win of the season to climb out of the relegation zone.
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They were quickly brought down to earth in their final outing of 2014, however, as Leicester City, themselves on a 13-match winless run, edged to a 1-0 victory at the KC Stadium in a game that saw both teams have a man sent off late on.
January
The New Year began in style for Hull as they got off to a winning start with a 2-0 victory at home to Everton, but normal service was soon resumed. The FA Cup third round threw up a repeat of last season's final, but Hull couldn't make as much of a game of it this time around as Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners at the Emirates.
That was the first of a four-match run without a goal for Bruce's side as they drew blanks in defeats to West Brom, West Ham and Newcastle - the latter two both 3-0 losses - to slip back in the bottom three.
February
February saw the club fined £145,000 for their breach of the FFP rules, while Mike Phelan also arrived in the dugout, raising questions over Bruce's position. However, a turnaround in form may well have saved the former Manchester United defender, with only a 92nd-minute James Milner free kick preventing the Tigers from beating Man City at the Etihad.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on three points against the champions, Hull soon found themselves back on the winning trail, largely thanks to Dame N'Doye, who joined the club on deadline day of the winter window. He and Jelavic both scored in victories over relegation rivals Aston Villa and QPR as Hull strung together consecutive wins for the first time in 2014-15.
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The Tigers shot up to 15th in the table as a result, four points clear of the bottom three, but their unbeaten streak came to an end at the Britannia Stadium on the final day of the month as Peter Crouch scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for Stoke.
March
Back-to-back relegation six-pointers arrived in March, but Hull could only manage a draw in each. N'Doye was once again on the scoresheet in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland before the Tigers held Leicester to a goalless stalemate despite having Tom Huddlestone sent off.
Between those two games, Bruce ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract with the club, and his players seemed willing to fight for their manager when they welcomed champions-elect Chelsea to town. Jose Mourinho's side looked like cruising to another three points when they raced into a two-goal lead inside 10 minutes, but Hull recovered with two quickfire goals of their own, only to ultimately succumb to a Loic Remy winner.
April
A seventh red card of the season hindered their chances at the Liberty Stadium in their first match of the penultimate month as David Meyler was sent off just three minutes after Hull had halved the deficit against Swansea, who went on to win 3-1.
A third consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Southampton, left them teetering on the brink of the relegation zone once again, but N'Doye came up with a vital brace at Selhurst Park to hand Hull their first away win of 2015.
There was better to come at the end of the month too, as Dawson's goal gave the Tigers a valuable win over Champions League-chasing Liverpool at the KC Stadium to open up a four-point gap to the relegation zone going into the final month of the campaign.
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May
The joy over Hull's mini revival was tempered somewhat by the good form of those around them in the table, and the gap to the bottom three quickly began to close once again. The Tigers went into the final month having never won a Premier League match in May, and that torrid record continued to condemn them to the Championship.
They found themselves three goals down by half time at home to Arsenal before pulling a consolation back after the break, but the most damaging result was still to come. A second 1-0 loss to Burnley of the season was not enough to save the Clarets from the drop, but it did go a long way to dragging Hull down with them as Bruce's side slipped into the bottom three with just two games to go.
Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose put a couple more nails in the Hull coffin with a 2-0 victory for Spurs in the penultimate game, leaving the Tigers needing a win over Manchester United coupled with Newcastle dropping points at home to West Ham on the final day. As it happened, Hull managed a spirited draw against the Red Devils, but Newcastle's win over the Hammers made the result academic.
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The Tigers ended the campaign in 18th place, three points adrift of safety but just two short of their previous season's tally. A year after stepping out at Wembley for the FA Cup final, Hull must now begin to prepare for life back in the Championship.
